Four-wheel vehicle drive construction



March 14, 1933. A R LE MOON 1,901,309

' FOUR-WHEEL VEIHICLE DRIVE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 7, 1930 4 Sheets-Shee t 1 .i gam i ij March 14,

1933. A. R. LE MOON FOUR-WHEEL VEHICLE DRIVE CONSTRUCTION Fiied April '7, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 jzvezzZZ/ 1 Mafch 14, 1933.

A. LE MOON FOUR-WHEEL VEHICLE DRIVE CONSTRUCTIQN Filed April '7; 1950 4 Sheets- Sheet 3 March 14, 1933. A. R. LE MOON FOUR-WHEEL VEHICLE DRIVE CONSTRUCTION '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 7, 1950 /IIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIII Ill/Illl/ meme Mar, 14, was

um'rsosrATss PATENT" orrlcs Am 3. LE EGO Ii, CHIGAGG, ILLINOIS NU VEHICLE DRIVE G0Ibl'STRlIl'G'JFIGIl' Apylluflon fie d April 7, was. Serial H0. 8,188.

This invention relstesto s vehicle drive mechanism of the type described in applicents Patent 1,761,135, June 3, 1830, motor truck drive mechanism.

The patent shove referred to describes a mounting for the four rear drive wheels of s. truck including thrust bars end links in a;

' the ones described in the shove mentioned patent, with the additional provision for a limited added. flexibility, responsive to undue stresses in the mechanism, to save the M axle housing and related mechanism from the efi'ects of reaction under conditions such as occur upon 9. sudden application of the brakes for stopping or spplicetion of power in starting. The purposes of the invention are sccom- Dlished by 9, construction, as .shown in the rewings, in which:

Figure l is e, plan view of improved drive mechanism includin the rear portion'of the chassis frame, the rout part being broken away. 7

Fig. 2 is s, side view with the rear wheels removed.

Fig. 3 is e rear view.

Fig. 4 is en enlarged sectional view taken on the line fs-4t of Fig. 1 but showing one of the wheels moved upwardly because of an irreguler reed surface.

Fig. 5 is e fragmentsry sectional plsn detail of a. thrust linhege shown in Flg. 4.

theframe, comprising a pair of axle hous- Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view takenare a vehicle frame and a drive unit below' ings, between which and the frame are so porting springs pivotally secured to t e frame st the middle and hevin their ends resting upon said housings, en a. parallel link construction between the housings end between the housings and the frame. This perellel link arrangement resists relative motion between the axle-housings except as permitted by the supportin springs and f eludes resilient means for a lowing e limited degree of flexibility in the ,drive unit.

Referring to the drawings, the vehicle frame 1 is shown-provided'with brackets to which are clamped, by the bracket es s 3, s cross tube 4 constituting part of the ve icle frame. The cross tube 4 extends outwsrdly beyond the frame 1 for the purpose of proriding a, support for the springs 5. lhe springs are centrally clamped to the tube 4: by the clamping means 6, shown in Figs. and 6. v

The ends of the springs rest upon the convex sprin seats 7 of the axle housings 8 between t e ears 9 which may he integral with the housings 8. The springs ere of less width than the distance between the ears 9, es shownin Fig. Z, in order to provide some freedom of motion hetween the axle housings and the springs; for example, when the axles ere tilted, due to one wheel rising higher then the other, or there is n tendenc for the axle-housings to shift letorally ightly, with reference to the vehicle frame when the vehicle is turning.

The axle housings are provided with downwardly extending cars 10 between which are pivotelly mounted links 11, connecting the two axle housings et points he nesth their axes. The more forward exle housing is provided with lorwerdly extending cars 12 to which are pivotally connected radius bars 13, which at their forward ends are pivotally connected with the brackets 14 depending from the frame.

' Above their axes, the axle housings are connected together by the link structure, shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5. This link struc ture also extends forwardly to brackets 15, extending inwardly from the sidechennels of frame 1. 'This comprises "the thrust bar 16 pivotally connected to bracket 15 above and in line with the pivotal connection with the bar 13 and the bracket .14.

" At their rear ends, the thrust bars 16 terthreaded ends of rods minate in -yokes 17 passing around the spherical to wardly in xed position from the forward axle housings.

\ similar apertures 29 in the spherical heads 30 of posts 31 extending upwardly from the rear axle housing 8.

Surrounding the rods 26 and 27, at each side of the spherical heads 18 and 29 are compression springs 32.

Nuts 33 are secured to the free ends of the rods 26 and 27 and these rods pass through collars 34 having concave surfaces for bearing against the spherical heads 18 and 30. This upper linkage connects the two axle units together and to the vehicle frame but, due to the sliding connection between the rods 26 and 27 and the heads 18 and 30 andl f the countersunk apertures in these heads, one axle housing may move upwardly or downwardly with respect to theother and,

7 upon excessive reaction to the driving or braking torques, may otherwise have slight relative motion but such motion is extreme ly slight, due to the strength of the springs 32 and resistance to motion of the links 11 and radius bars 13.

The downward movement, of the axle housings, or one side thereof, in case wheels drop into a depression in the road, is limited by the chains 35 looped around the underside of each axle housing beneath the side bars of frame 1, to which the chains are secured by U-bolts.

The arrangement of the propeller shaft- U ing 36 from the motor clutch to the differentials in the axle housings is one that is now commonly used in four-wheel drive constructions and includes a worm drive, so that the shafting may pass directly from the worm in the front housing to the worm in the rear differential housing.

Some of the links, particularly the radius bars 13, are subject to twisting strains. These bars are centrally reinforced by spring leaves 37 clamped thereto, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the operation of this drive unit, the load is equalized between the four wheels under normal conditions and the axle hous ings are maintained in alinement, although the structure is not so rigid as to interfere with some slight flexibility of the unit, as

s 18 of posts 19-extending upindicated at 37 of Fig. 1.

another; nor is a very slight movement of the axle housings in the direction of their axes prevented when the vehicle is making a.

turn. The. spring mounting is such, as may be seen in Fig. 7, as to allow a slight rolling action of an axle housing on theends of the springs when the housin is tilted laterally. Likewise, the ears 9 are s ightly spaced from the springs, so that the housing may shift slightl along an axial line. When power is sud enly applied to the propeller shafting or the brakes grip hard, the reaction of the tor ue passes through the axle housings, ten ing to oscillate the same on their axes. Such oscillation is resisted by the parallel link'arrangement but is cushioned also due to the springarrangement on the upper set of links. Whatever tendency there may be for the housing to rotate is resisted, reacted upon and transmitted from one housing to the other through the linkage and ring arrangement, as ma be seen from ig. 4 and also through t e radius bars 13 and thrust bars 16 to the vehicle frame. Lateral tilting of the axle housings laces a twisting strain upon the links w 'ch are constructed of steel for this 'pur ose and on the samereaso'n may be rein orced, as

- Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle, a frame structure, a pair of driving axle housings, springs centrally secured to the frame and having their ends slidably resting upon the ,axle housings, parallel link structures connecting said housings above and below the axes of the housings, said link structures including compression spring connections with the axle housings for resisting relative motion between said housings, and thrust bars connecting said link structures with the frame.

- ios 2. In a vehicle, a frame structure, a pair of driving axle housings, springs attached to the frame structure between said axle housof driving axle housings, springs attached to the frame structure between said "axle .31 2

housings and having their ends slidably bearing against the upper side of said housings, thrust link structures connecting said housings above and below the axes of the 6 housings and connecting the housings with the frame, said link structures including opposed compression springs for resisting relative motion between said housings, and between the housings and the frame structure. 1 4. In a vehicle, a frame structure, a plurality of driving axle housings horizontally spaced apart beneath said frame and connected together by parallel links "arranged 7 above and below said housings and pivoted thereto at their ends, parallel links extending from vertically-spaced pivots on said frame to pivotal connections with said first mentioned links, and opposed compression springs associated with said first mentioned 2 links for resisting thrust between said housing and said frame. I

5. A vehicle frame, a pair of axle housings extending laterally beneath said frame, ,a pair of links having their ends ivoted to said housings beneath the axles o the housings, a pair of links pivoted to said frame structure and one of said axle housings, and linkage extending from the frame structure to pivotal connections with each of said housin and including resilient means for resisting motion between the axle housings and the thrust between said axle housings and the frame.

6. A vehicle frame, a pair of axle housings extending laterally beneath said frame, a pair of links having their ends pivoted to said housings beneath the axles of the housings, a pair of links pivoted to said frame structure and one of said axle housings,

linkage extending from one axle housing to the other having pivotal connections with each of said housings and including opposed compression springs for resistin motion between the axle housings, and mkage hav- 4 in yoke connections with said last named iin a e and extending to said frame to transmit trust between said axle housings and the frame.

Signed at Chicago this 4th day of April,

. AXEL R. LE MOON. 

